UN boss sees Afghan poll results next week

Washington: The final tally in Afghanistan`s
contested presidential election is expected to come as soon as
next week, the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has said.

"I understand that the final results may be available on
or around 7 October," Ban said, as key United Nations Security
Council members weighed calls to deploy more troops to the
country.

Amid widespread allegations the August 20 poll was rigged
in favour of incumbent president Hamid Karzai, Ban said he
would not recognise a winner until the official tally was in
and election watchdogs had given their view.

"We have to wait for the official outcome of the counting
by the Independent Election Commission and the Electoral
Complaints Commission," Ban told journalists, "we have to
wait. Before that, I`m not in a position to say who would be
the winner of this election."

Based on preliminary results, Karzai has 54.6 percent of
the votes declared valid, against 27.8 percent for rival
Abdullah Abdullah, with Karzai`s current tally enough to avoid
a second round run-off.

Concerns have been growing in Washington and other
capitals about the impact of a discredited vote as the
security situation worsens in the country.